Erosive arthritis can seriously alter an individual's quality of life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is the No. 1 cause of disability in the U.S. Just over 8 million adults report working limitations due to degenerative joint disease. Erosive arthritis is an extremely painful type of osteoarthritis, for which radiology is the best diagnostic tool.
Identification
Erosive arthritis is a serious and incapacitating degenerative joint disease. According to John Hopkins University, it occurs most often in women who have reached menopause. Because symptoms of this condition frequently mimic those of rheumatoid arthritis, X-rays usually confirm the diagnosis.
Significance
X-rays of the hands usually reveal the serious degenerative changes that are the hallmark of the disease. According to the John Hopkins Arthritis Center, these changes are especially obvious in the joints of the fingers, and sometimes cause painful "contractures" or other deformities. Bony projections called "spurs" may also show up on the X-rays.
Benefits of Radiology
Radiology is a diagnostic tool that offers many advantages over other methods of evaluation. Diagnostic tools such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging show the exact intensity of the inflammation seen in erosive arthritis. This approach also enables radiologists to see the precise degree of erosion, and according to the Arthritis Foundation, X-rays also reveal whether or not ankylosis--the fusion of a joint--is present.
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